Coburg are thrilled to announce Tasmanian Stuart Donnelly has agreed to terms for the 2017 season.
Donnelly spent the 2016 season in the NEAFL where he managed 17 games, eleven of them with the Southport Sharks while also topping up for the Gold Coast Suns NEAFL side on another six occasions. Previously, he spent 2015 in the Tasmanian State League with Kingston where he finished third in the best and fairest behind eventual AFL draftees Mackenzie Willis and Kieran Lovell, and also represented Tasmania in the State game against the NEAFL.
Donnelly was a Tasmanian representative in 2013 in the under 18 state championships and with the Mariners in the TAC Cup, and in 2015 also received an invite to the National Draft combine where he competed. Donnelly predominantly plays dashing off halfback and can also be put on a wing. He established a reputation in his underage years for his hard running and boasts considerably high levels of pace and endurance.
Donnelly, aged 21, is looking forward to trying his hand in the VFL competition in 2017.
“I think VFL was always an attractive option for to me to play as I aspire to play at the highest level possible, and after seeing Peter German do what he’s done this year with a young list, with opportunities’ given to those players and developing some of them into Draft hopefuls at the upcoming drafts. That’s why Coburg was appealing to me, I’d like to be one of those players down the track who belongs in that category. German’s resume in terms of success with his coaching and player development recently made the prospect of coming to Coburg attractive for me, and I feel quite lucky to be offered a contract to play in the VFL for the 2017 season.”
Lions List and Recruiting Manager Sebastian Spagnuolo was delighted to have secured the Tasmanian ahead of the 2017 pre-season campaign.
“Our second signing of the off-season is Stuart Donnelly. Equally comfortable as a winger or rebounding defender Stuart was a very accomplished junior player in Tasmania before moving up to the NEAFL side Southport at the invitation of the Gold Coast Suns who were initially keen to draft him for their AFL side and wanted to continue to track his development. After over 50 games of state team football in both Tasmania and Queensland and still only 21 years of age, Stuart brings to Coburg some good experience for his age and still harbours ambition to play at the highest level possible.”
Adding much needed rebounding defensive depth off halfback for the Lions, we’re delighted to have Stuart on board for 2017 and looking forward to seeing what he can achieve.
